My feet stop cold.
Chasing a man feels wrong. On so many levels.
So instead of sprinting down the length of Broadway, heart in my throat, hoping to tackle Harrison, I spare myself the embarrassment. Because it’s probably not him at all.
And even if it is, he doesn’t want me. He’s made that perfectly clear.
I turn around, march my butt back to the counter, collect my breakfast, and indulge in my day.
Some days, I follow my gut.
It hasn’t always been kind to me.
Today, I choose coffee.
Another call comes in, and my smile is instant. I let it go straight to FaceTime.
“Hi.” I wave, melting a little more every single time those three faces fill my screen.
They call me every day. Sometimes more than once. And I swear, it brightens my whole world in a way nothing else has ever managed to.
Harrison is never in the shot, and I sip my coffee and pretend that doesn’t matter.
Connor, Ollie, and Snook cram in close, immediately fighting for control of the phone.
“One at a time,” I remind them, laughing.
The boys step back without protest, letting Snook go first. Always. I’m fairly certain that particular rule was drilled into them by their father.
She hands the phone to one of them so her entire body fits in the frame, then beams at me, practically vibrating with glee.
“Guess what we’re doing today?”
“What?” I ask, moving to a standing café table and settling in. This is absolutely going to be a long call, and I’m not cutting it short for anything.
“We’re going to the library,” she announces proudly.
My smile goes wide. I pull out the sightseeing bingo card in my bag, of all the must-see places you’re supposed to check off when you visit New York. “It’s on my list,” I show her.
“It’s my favorite place in the whole, wide world.” She stretches her arms as wide as they’ll go.
“Mine, too.”
CHAPTER 33
Ava
By the time I make it back to my suite, I’m beat. It’s been raining on and off, and a bus splashed me while I was waiting at the corner to cross the street, but I’m too close to cloud nine to care.
“Thank you,” I tell the doorman as he lets me in.
“You look happy.”
“I’ve been sightseeing,” I say. “Exploring New York without a care in the world.”
He smiles. “Well, you’re positively glowing. You probably have your phone full of photos.”
The thing is, I don’t. Not even one.
